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Ridiculous Ricotta Pound Cake

Why do I say this cake is "ridiculous"?

Because it falls under the SO ridiculously good category.

I know you don't need another luxurious cake to bake during the hoildays, and right before we set ourselves up for New Year's resolution failure, but some of you may be skinny or looking to gain some extra weight this holiday season.

Maybe you have some teenage boys who need to pack on some pounds for the cold winter months ahead; could be you have a lot of leftover ricotta cheese from your Christmas lasagne; or maybe you just LOVE a ricotta cake, like me.

I adore this cake. It's worth every calorie.
So just have one slice.

I'm doing a rare Saturday post, just in case you need another dessert for your menu.

You have 10 days till Jan. 2, diet day.

Please do not skip the raisins in this recipe, they do something wonderful to this simple cake.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees and position a rack in the center. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter, dust it with flour, and tap to knock out the excess.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, ricotta, and sugar on medium speed until smooth and light, about 2 minutes.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, lemon zest and raisins. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients to combine them, scrape down sides of the bowl, and beat batter for 30 seconds on medium speed.

Pour batter into prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top. Give the pan a few gentle whacks on the counter to remove any air pockets.

Bake cake for 15 minutes at 350F, then turn the pan 180 degrees to ensure even browning. Lower the temperature to 325F degrees and continue baking until the cake springs back lightly when touched, the sides have begun to pull away from the pan, and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes more. (Mine took 1 hour).

Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto the rack to cool completely. Dust cake lightly with confectioners sugar before serving. Best served the day after baking.

Will you bake this cake for me? I have tried it two times, meticulously measuring everything and even draining the ricotta the second time. It never turns out right for me, yet yours looks perfect. What am I doing wrong?

BigPilot,You are right, the original recipe calls for a vanilla bean, which I don't use, I just used vanilla extract, I have updated the recipe.

Basically, just mix everything together in a bowl then pour in the loaf pan and bake it. I never use a mixer or do all this fancy baking science stuff......I just throw in the dry with the wet ingredients!

After posting about the vanilla bean I made the cake using one vanilla bean plus the vanilla extract. We put in a bit more raisins of various colors. Great cake. Delicious as all your recipes I have made are.

Just stopping by to wish you a very Merry Christmas! Hope your day was festive and delicious! This "pound" cake looks deliciously deadly! I can see the pounds adding up just from looking at the photo. LOL!

est. 2008.
I am an antiques dealer & appraiser during the day.........a recipe writer, and cook by night. I use fresh, local, seasonal ingredients to create delicious meals.
I live 20 miles from NYC, and have access to some great markets & restaurants. Check out my weekly recipes. P.S. I AM NOT THE PITA CHIP LADY. :)